Freaky 2000s horror hit The Grudge coming back to life

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One of the first modern horror films to prove that low-budget doesn’t have to mean low box-office haul is getting a new (terrifying) lease on life.

The freaky 2004 horror flick The Grudge is getting the reboot treatment, courtesy of script writer Jeff Buhler (Midnight Meat Train). Ghost House Pictures and Good Universe studios have teamed up to bring the series back to life. The first film cost $10 million and made $187 worldwide, so you can see the appeal.

The original, based on the Japanese thriller Ju-On, was directed by Taskashi Shimazu and starred genre fan favorite Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as she tried to survive a super-freaky haunted house that would drive people into an uncontrollable rage. No word on what to expect from the reboot, but we'd anticipate a similar approach.

Despite the fact that it has already spawned two mediocre sequels in The Grudge 2 and The Grudge 3, the last of which came out just five years ago, diminishing box-office returns make it pretty obvious that it had lost the buzz that helped buoy the original.

Considering the track record of low-budget horror hits these days, you’d have to think this one has a fairly good shot. The addition of original producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert is also a good sign. No word on a director yet, but here’s hoping Raimi steps in to give ‘em a few pointers.

Are you glad to hear The Grudge is coming back to freak us out again? Is it even necessary, among all the other low-budget horror fare already clogging up the box office?